Warning: Some paragraphs contain gore between monsters and humans. Readers' discretion is highly advised.

The guests started looking at each other's sides to see who might be the culprit. Dianthus felt nervous, trying to hide her agitation, clenching her fist on the sides of her skirt. 

Irelina thought, Her expression was undeniable. She is the culprit. But how did she learn how to use dark magic? I’m sure, it’s forbidden to use in this empire. She’s a healer. Something…is quite not right. 

“Everyone, be quiet!” Zeddrick commanded. 

The murmur stopped and Zeddrick added, “However—” He glared at Irelina. But she was not intimidated by his cold stare. 

“If you lied to us, I would be the one to kill you,” said Zeddrick.

“Do what you think is right, Your Majesty,” Irelina said bluntly.

Stunned by Irelina’s audacity in the crowd, she took her chance to reveal what she looked like to stop the rumors about her ugly face, acting like a sly fox in front of everyone. 

 “Very well, since Your Majesty has agreed about the culprit’s case, it’s time for me to reveal myself and stop this nonsense rumor about me,” Irelina said sarcastically. 

All of them were curious to see her real face. Irelina closed her eyes and slowly removed the veil as it gracefully fell on the marble floor. 

“How can it be?! She didn’t have any scars at all,” a viscount exclaimed. 

Everyone was in awe. 

Irelina’s siren golden eyes glistened from the light of chandeliers, and her fairy snow skin, long wavy black hair that shone, and soft peach-colored lips made her stand out in the crowd. 

Zeddrick could not utter a single word of judgement. He was captivated by her peculiar beauty. Even the regent has admired her enchanting look. 

Irelina’s expression was very kind and calm like the bud of a flower that blossoms in spring, and the charisma of Aurora that you will not dare take your eyes off of her. 

How could this be?! Dianthus felt envious.

“Are you trying to trick us?! We all know you have a ruined face. You’re an impostor. Where is the real Irelina Mercius?!” Dianthus said irresponsibly. 

I’m already at my piqued with this bitch. Irelina’s straight face looked at Dianthus. 

“Seriously? How could you possibly know? Can’t I say…I was born like this?” Irelina taunted Dianthus even more, adding “Besides, how can you prove that I am not the real Irelina Mercius? Have you let someone check on me? Or did you use something else? Like magic, perhaps?” 

Dianthus bit her lower lip, gripping her skirt angrily, thinking, She’s trying to provoke me, but I will not let you do what you want. I will not ruin my plan to become His Majesty’s empress. She gritted.

“Enough of this!” Zeddrick was furious, adding, “I don’t care whether you’re the real Irelina or the fake one. Your presence is already ruining the party! Return to the Regent’s Palace immediately, and don’t show your face unless I said so!” 

Irelina looked at His Majesty with a cold expression. 

I don’t care about this party anyway. Now that I said what I wanted and proved them wrong. That’s all that matters. Now that I know who the culprit is, I only need to gather evidence. And once I have everything, I will slap them to his face and leave Hēnte for good. 

Irelina crossed her arms and gave His Majesty a smug smile. 

“Not a problem, Your Majesty. I don’t intend to stay at your lavish party, which doesn’t suit my taste.” Irelina’s tone was heartless.

Zeddrick was appalled by her boldness. Irelina turned her back on him and saw Sidañian behind some guests.  

“Sadi, are you not coming with me?” said Irelina.

Sidañian knew it was time to end their roleplay. He did enjoy the scene to his heart’s content, and a perfect ending to let everyone’s mind ponder when the night’s over. He offered his left hand towards Irelina, and so did she with her right hand. 

But Zeddrick was annoyed, and before they could leave the hall, while the guests watched. 

“Stop right there!” Zeddrick exclaimed. 

Sidañian and Irelina stopped but didn’t turn their heads back on Zeddrick. 

Now what? Irelina felt upset.  

And Sidañian felt, What a nuisance. How far is he going to insult the 9th Concubine?

They furrowed their brows. 

“What do you think you’re doing?” His Majesty’s tone was stern, perhaps with a slight feeling of jealousy. 

Irelina looked sideways. Her gaze was so menacing and eerie that Zeddrick felt a pang of hate from her. 

“Like you said, Your Majesty, I’m ruining the party. So I’m going to leave. But it doesn’t mean I’m going by myself.” 

Irelina slowly lifted her chin with her heartless expression, adding, “Besides, I promise the Emperor of Horos that I will accompany him until the day he leaves this palace.” She smirked, bowed, and averted her glance away from Zeddrick and said, “Well, then, Goodbye.” 

Sidañian grinned and thought, I never felt so intense being with a fearless woman like her. I believe my stay here will not be dreary.

The crowd watched as they left the Golden Hall, leaving Zeddrick feeling deflated by Irelina’s harsh words. 

As they walked in the quiet palace hallway, Irelina gently removed her arm from Sidañian. He simply smiled and let her be as they walked in rhythm. 

“Did I play my part perfectly?” Sidañian breaks their silence.

“You did very well. I owe you a lot, Sadi. I’ll make it up to you.” Irelina’s tone was calm yet she felt slightly disheartened. 

“Well, I feel disappointed because you won’t sleep with me.” 

“Seriously? Is that all you care about what’s between your legs?” Irelina somehow felt irritated.

Sidañian laughed and said, “I can’t believe you have a vulgar tongue, My Lady.”

“Just tell me what you want.” 

Sidañian suddenly stopped and grabbed Irelina’s waist towards him. 

Irelina was startled as he held her chin closer to his face. 

The moonlight radiates their shadows on the walls. It's a perfect scene to get intimate. Irelina’s expression was innocent without spite. But, her eyes glittered with caution. 

“What are you doing?” She felt uneasy in his arms.

“I find you interesting. You have enchanting eyes and a beauty that makes a man’s heart pound wild.” Sidañian strong sense of desire. 

“Huh? What are you bluffing about?” She averted her gaze away.

“I’m serious…your lips are tempting. I want to kiss you right here, right now.” 

A sudden lust grew in Sidañian’s body as he gently touched her soft lips with his right thumb and slowly reached his lips to hers. 

Irelina frowned her brows and pushed him away. 

He was surprised by her strength.

“Stop toying around,” Irelina said, and thought, What a jerk. 

“If you’re not going to tell me what you want, then I’m leaving,” Irelina turned around. 

Sidañian grabbed her right arm. 

“Fine. I apologize. But what I said is true.” His tone was sincere, “Do what you feel comfortable doing, and I’ll be contented being in your care.” He smiled. 

Irelina was about to say something when the wall mirror caught her eyes. She looked surprised. You got to be kidding me! Is this what I looked like?! I looked like myself, Iris. The only difference is our eyes and skin color, but everything is identical.

“Haven’t you seen yourself in the mirror?” Sidañian asked.

“No, I haven’t,” she kept staring at the mirror. 

For some reason, Irelina saw something bizarre. 

Sidañian felt weird, Strange— 

In an instant, a dreadful feeling prickled Irelina’s heart as her reflection rippled in the mirror. Am I hallucinating? she wondered. She stared at the mirror intensely and saw a strange dark gray cloud in motion like a spiral vine from the darkness. She felt a sudden gooseflesh behind her nape as it shivered through her cold feet—an uncanny feeling she had never felt before.

“Hey, did you see that?” Irelina asked. 

”All I can see is our reflection.” said Sidañian.

Can’t he see anything? Or is it just me? she mumbled, “There’s something cloudy beyond the mirror.”' Irelina's heart rate rose, gripping her left skirt.

Irelina felt ominous when two evil eyes slowly gazed at her. One was red, and the other was green. They were sirens like hers. Their stare was forbidding and intimidating. 

A hissing sound echoed to Irelina's ears, and her pulse stopped beating for a moment as they called her “AZA…REL” and drew a wicked smile on their faces. 

Sidañian saw her cold sweat on her forehead, “Hey, are you alright—” 

Abruptly, Irelina coughed blood and kneeled on the floor. What the— She trembled in fear seeing blood on her right opened palm as if she reacted to their hails. 

Blood dripping from her lips.

“Irelina!”  Sidañian exclaimed and held her shoulders, worriedly, There’s so much blood. 

She again coughed blood with her distorted voice, trying to breathe. “I…I don’t know—there’s some…thing in the mirror.” She pointed to the mirror with her weary eyes.

Something in the mirror? Sidañian looked, and there was nothing in the mirror. 

He felt anxious.

Irelina was teary, gasping for air, breathing from her mouth. The blood vessels in her eyeballs were thickening and reddening. I can’t breathe, and my chest feels so tight. I can’t think straight. Who’s Azarel? She tightly pressed her chest and the blood strained her throat.

“Stay here. I’ll go get some help.” Sidañian said.

Irelina grabbed his left arm, and he looked unsettled. “Don’t…disrupt the…party. Find…Medi-sus and…bring him here discreetly, please. He’s the palace doctor.” She was losing her voice. 

“Alright, I’ll do as you say, so please stay conscious,”  

Sidañian hastily returned to the Golden Empire Hall. He felt restless and mad, clenching his fist furiously. He quickly asked one of the knights to get Medicius for him. 

Meanwhile, everyone was chattering and enjoying the party. Medicius and Castaeus were conversing with the Viscounts and a few ladies. The knight stood behind Medicius and whispered in his left ear. His eyes widened, and Castaeus noticed his furrowed expression. 

“I’m sorry, but I must go. Something urgent came up,” Medicius said.

“Sure, sure, go ahead.” Viscount Sepaius said. 

He left the group and hurriedly went to the entrance hall. Castaeus wondered and excused himself. He quietly followed Medicius. 

Sidañian was waiting when Medicius saw him outside.   

“Where is she?” Medicius tone was uptight.     

“I left her down the hallway not far from here; let’s go,” said Sidañian. 

When they arrived, Irelina had already fallen unconscious on the floor. Medicius quickly checked her wrist. Her pulse is abnormal. What the hell happened? and said to Sidañian, “We need to bring her back to the Regent’s Palace.”

Sidañian agreed and placed his palm on the floor and formed a purple portal stride sigil. Medicius carried Irelina, and the rune glowed as they disappeared. The bloodstained on the floor dissipated like dust. 

Ella was about to leave Irelina’s room when they suddenly appeared in front of her and startled her.  

“What happened to Lady Irelina?” Ella was worried.

Medicius quickly laid Irelina to bed. 

“Ella, get a warm bowl of water to clean her up,” he said, and Ella quickly did as told. 

“She lost a lot of blood.” Medicius said and added, “I must get my medical bag and return as soon as possible.” 

“I can help you to get it fast,” Sidañian offered help. 

“Thank you. But before we go, let’s keep her condition discreet for now,” Medicius said. 

“And why is that?” Sidañian furrowed his brows. 

“She just came back from a coma. And, if His Majesty finds out, it would burden the entire palace. I’ll inform His Majesty after the party.” said Medicius.

“Tsk,” Sidañian reacted and said, “Alright, let’s go,” He formed the same portal stride as they left.

Minutes later, they came back. Ella had changed Irelina’s clothes. Medicius told Ella not to worry. He injected the vitality potion to let her rest for the night and recuperate. 

Sidañian returned to the guest palace after Medicius thanked him for his help. Before going to his bed, he pondered what Irelina had said. Something dark in the mirror. But I didn’t see anything. Is it because she was the only one who could see it? He paused and his eyes widened with an uneasy feeling. 

Dark Magic? But that’s impossible. She wouldn’t notice it unless her body reacted to what she saw. Strange…but I don’t feel good about it if it’s something we couldn’t see. 

Sidañian’s mind was deeply puzzled about Irelina’s mystery. 

Before the night was over, the guards of the north wall were battling for their lives against the monsters from the Land of Satanus, who entered the broken barrier wall. Some shadow demons sucked the wounded warrior’s blood, skinned them while screaming as they died. 

Some had run, shouting in fear, panting, and bleeding as they used their swords and bare hands to fight. 

The screeching voice of the hideous monsters, wildly chasing the petrified warriors and unarmed knights. 

Thud...thud...thud...thud... the stomping sound of the monster's feet.

Howling cries of the dying knights and warriors as they lose an arm and a leg.

Suddenly, an ominous sound resonated aloud from the Land of Satanus. It was a loud howl.  The warriors' and knights' feet felt the rumble from the underground as the monsters looked back to their motherland.  

“What is going on?!” They all felt horrified, watching and standing on the parapet looking at the changes in the Land of Satanus. 

Their eyes shivered in fear when thick red mist-like clouds appeared from the sky and slowly covered the Land of Satanus. General Eideuz Albert took the command and shouted at everyone to watch their backs. But they felt more scared when they heard an evil voice echoing and calling, “My children—”